ENGLISH FOR WORK. How to Ask For a Raise

ENGLISH FOR WORK

How to Ask For a Raise

I Lead in.

a)    Do you think it is easy to ask a boss for a raise (higher salary)? Why is it easy or difficult?

b)    How would you ask your boss for a raise?

c)    What are the right things to say when you ask your boss for a raise?

II Watch the videos. Pei, a recent arts undergraduate, works as a designer. She wants to ask her boss, Chris, for a raise.

A) Look at the phrases below. Decide if they are parts of dialogue 1 or dialogue 2. How does the designer ask for a raise? What arguments (if any) does she give in dialogue 1? How does she start her speech in dialogue 2?

1.    We originally discussed a higher hourly rate and I feel like I've met the criteria for that. So can I have a raise?

2.    I’ve been 100% awesome.

3.    We didn't talk about criteria actually, but I think the criteria were being awesome and getting things done.

4.    Chris, I think I'm an awesome designer and I show up on time, and I get things done.

5.    And I want the 100% hourly rate.

B) Which dialogue is a better version of a talk with a boss? Do you think the boss will give her a raise? Why do you think so?

III Vocabulary focus. Key words. Read the sentences (1-14). The words in bold are used in the video. First guess the meaning of the words. Then match the words in bold with their definitions (a-n).

1.    We originally discussed a higher hourly rate and I feel like I've met the criteria for that.

2.    But I think the criteria were being awesome and getting things done.

3.    I think I'm an awesome designer and I show up on time.

4.    I get things done, and they're very turnkey.  

5.    Otherwise I'm gonna fire you.

6.    I think you're gonna get a higher chance of getting the raise without straining the relationship.

7.    Does that sound like it's threatening or too aggressive?  

8.    I think the first thing that's gonna happen, is you're gonna catch them off guard.

9.    So you have to take on more responsibility if you want to make more money.

10.And the problem there is that those responsibilities aren't viewed as being valuable to the company.  

11.If you can teach two new designers that are underneath you…,  I'd be happy to consider giving you a raise

12.We don’t need to use vague language.

13.We need to make goals more tangible.

14.If you win two awards within the categories that matter to me, I'm gonna give you a raise.

a)    extremely good

b)    not clearly expressed

c)    something that you have to do as part of your job

d)    worth a lot of money

e)    to tell someone that you’ll cause problems if they don’t do what you want

f)     in lower position

g)    prize

h)    to remove a person from their job when they did something wrong

i)      to put pressure on something

j)     finished and ready to use

k)    to come to work punctually

l)      to surprise someone by doing something that they are not expecting or ready for

m)  real

n)    the amount of money that is paid for every hour worked

IV Watch the video. Answer the questions.

1) What do most people say when they ask for a raise? What do they talk about?

2) Why is it a bad idea to describe what you do in your job or say that you show up on time? Why doesn’t it impress your boss?

3) What is a different way of looking at raise? Whose point of view is important n this dialogue?

4) What are the good questions to ask your boss without sounding aggressive or demanding?

V Watch the videos. Pei, a designer, asks her boss, Chris, for a raise. What tips from the previous task does she use? Do you think this talk will be successful? Read the sentences. Then watch the the video and complete the sentences with one word per space.

1) I think I've been doing an ____ job being a designer here, and I hope you think so also.

2) But I want to ____ more money.

3) And so I want to ask you what can I do, what ____ can I fill here to earn more and be a better ____ to you?  

4) And if I fill those requirements, can I have a ____?

VI Watch the video. Put the sentences from the talk in order (1-14).

a)    The first thing that's gonna happen, is you're gonna catch them off guard.

b)    Everybody comes in and asks for more money, they give a lot of reasons and describe what they're doing, but those are their job responsibilities.

c)    So you know you can take those courses, you know you can read that book, you know you can work towards that certification.

d)    Try not to use vague language.

e)    A good question is: “What steps would I take personally to become a better designer?”

f)     So you have to take on more responsibility if you want to make more money.

g)    The boss can say: “If you take two of these courses on lynda.com, if you read this book, if you're certified by this thing, and if you win two awards within the categories that matter to me, that’s real. Then I'm gonna go do that”.

h)    And it could be that simple and that gives you something really tangible goals to work towards.

i)      The employee (the worker) wants to follow it up in an email saying: “Boss, we talked. These are the four things I'm gonna work on. And how will we know we get there?”

j)     The boss can say: “If you can learn to talk to the clients, if you can deliver jobs on X percentage or you only spend X % versus the money that's coming in, if you can teach two new designers that are underneath you, you're showing an expanded role within the company, I'd be happy to consider giving you a raise.”

k)    It is important to take responsibilities that are helpful or valuable to the company.

l)      The example of vague language is: “I want you to be a better designer”.

m)  Winning the two awards is just another external objective point of view to help gauge if the work is that good.

n)    So it's important that you share that in writing.

VII OVER TO YOU.

A) What tips did you find useful? Are there any recommendations you disagree with? Add one more recommendation (your own idea).

B) Role-play dialogue following the scheme below. Use the phrases from tasks V and VI.